


another rainy day

by theformerone



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Domestic Fluff, F/M, and they were roommates! oh god they were roommates!, sakura is in a nursing program and she is exhausted, shikamaru is a history major who might as well already have his doctorate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2019-03-03 01:44:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13330845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theformerone/pseuds/theformerone
Summary: "Sit down," he says, "watch the news. Play footsie with me."





	another rainy day

Shikamaru is asleep on the kotatsu when she gets home.

There's a cup of cooling green tea in front of him and the television is blaring a news program about monsoon season rolling in. Sakura slips off her shoes at the door and puts on her slippers. She dumps her umbrella in the holder by the door and steps inside. 

It had been a long day at clinical and she felt tired enough to lay herself down right by Shikamaru and sleep. But she knew she wouldn't be able to rest with wet hair and wet clothes still sticking to her skin. The hems on the legs of her scrubs clung to her calves, splashed with rain despite her bright red boots. 

The rain had come without warning right as she was heading for the bus stop. She had gotten liberally sprayed with rain water and immediately regretted not taking up Shizune when she offered her a ride home. Sakura had a sore spot about being a burden and couldn't imagine a fate worse than imposing on someone she cared about. Or owed. Or knew.

Her self sacrificial streak was a mile wide and probably stemmed from the early childhood trauma that was growing up by Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto, blessed boy, who despite losing his parents young and having an inconsistent father figure in his godfather Jiraiya, had always made Sakura's heart hurt. She had started inviting him over for dinner and sleepovers and homework shortly after meeting him.

And Sasuke. Sasuke was a sweet kid until his parents died in that accident. He had his brother looking after him and a couple of cousins a few cities away, but Sakura had a bad habit of picking up strays. 

At one point in their youth, Ino had given her an exasperated look. It had been during one of many notorious playdates, ones that began with hair pulling and ended bundled up in blankets in front of Disney movies. Anything could be forgiven in the course of a day. 

"How many more weirdos do you plan on adopting, Forehead?" she had asked. 

Sakura was ten years old at the time and eyeing Hinata's quivering form. She was new to the notorious playdates. Ino brought her boys and Sakura brought hers. Lee had started showing up after he and Naruto became friends and Tenten followed to squash collateral damage. Tenten was the only person that Hinata knew and clung to the older girl's side like a burr. 

"I'll stop when I have a full set," Sakura replied, grin wide and toothy. 

Four girls to five boys was hardly a set. Sakura kept picking up weirdos. 

She peels off her clothes in the bathroom and starts the shower. She washes her hair to warm up her scalp more than to get the rainwater out. She hadn't gotten poured on, but the cool air of the bus had made her feel colder than she actually was. 

She gets out of the shower, wraps herself in a towel, and dumps all of her dirty clothes in the laundry basket in her room. She tugs on an old high school t-shirt that may or may not be Shikamaru's and a pair of loose flannel pajama pants that are definitely hers. 

Sakura folds her hair into her towel and steps back into their cramped living room. Shikamaru is still asleep, or pretending to be. She pads quietly over to him and picks up his cup of tea. It's cold by now. She takes a sip and wrinkles her nose. He likes it bitter, but it'd be a shame to waste. 

She opens the microwave, debating whether or not she should make enough for both of them for dinner or if Shikamaru's already eaten. There is a bowl, wrapped in tin foil already inside. Sakura puts the cup of cold tea on top of the microwave and takes out the bowl. She peers into the kitchen to see if Shikamaru is still sleeping, then peels the aluminum foil back off the edge of the bowl. 

It's a bowl of nabe, she recognizes that from the fishy smell alone. She squints to see what else is inside, but the vegetables and thick pieces of crab meat have sunken to the bottom. 

"Chouji came over after our project meeting with Asuma," calls Shikamaru's rasp from the kitchen. "There were leftovers."

Sakura does not jump out of her skin. She absolutely does not. 

"Leftovers?" she calls, rolling the foil back over the bowl. "With Chouji-kun?"

She can almost hear Shikamaru shrug one shoulder and bury his face into his arms. 

"Never say I don't love you, woman."

Sakura snorts. It's only then that she sees the absolute mess in the kitchen sink. Chouji's upbringing keeps him from leaving a mess anywhere he makes one, but Shikamaru is the absolute opposite. Between Yoshino and Ino, he can be cajoled (loudly) into tidying up after himself, but if he can't be bothered, he probably won't be. 

"I hope he paid for all the ingredients," she says, putting the tea into the microwave and punching in thirty seconds. 

"He was very adamant about the crab," Shikamaru grumbles. "I didn't have the heart to tell him I couldn't tell the difference between the cheap stuff and the expensive stuff."

Sakura hums and takes the tea out of the microwave when it beeps. She sticks her pinky in to make sure it's reasonably warm, then turns the kettle on since she's up. She's going to want her own cup sooner or later. She puts her bowl of nabe into the microwave, positive that when her hunger actually does hit, she'll be ravenous. 

She takes Shikamaru's tea back into the living room and sets it down beside his elbow. 

"I'm sure I won't be able to tell the difference either, but tell him I appreciate him doing the cooking today. I'm dead on my feet."

As she rears back up to stand, Shikamaru's hand wraps itself around her wrist. He tugs her down as he pulls himself up and their lips meet in a press that tastes like cold green tea. His fingers rub the soft skin on the inside of her wrist, and Sakura uses her free hand to cup the side of his face. 

"Sit down," he says, "watch the news. Play footsie with me."

Sakura smiles. 

"You want to play something other than shogi?" 

"I'm amenable to Uno, but I know I'd only hurt your feelings."

Sakura pats his cheek. 

"Sure, honey, _my_ feelings would be hurt."

She rubs her fingers over the stud in his ear. He presses his lips to the inside of her wrist before she settles down beside him at the kotatsu, immediately sticking her feet as far under his thighs as he'll let them go. It's pretty far. 

"Damn it, woman," he says, flinching like he can actually feel her ice pick toes through his sweatpants. 

"Cry about it," she snips. "Now finish your tea before I do."

Shikamaru picks up the cup and drinks half of it in one go just to spite her. Idly, Sakura watches the news blare about the heavy rainfall. Her eyelids start to droop before long, lulled by heat and soft white noise. 

She wakes up an hour later, rain still fluttering against the window. Her towel has been taken off of her hair and the bowl of leftover nabe Shikamaru valiantly wrangled for her is steaming at the center of the table. Shikamaru is standing in the kitchen with his hair down, scrubbing at the dishes in the sink. The window in front of him is open, but the screen catches any wayward water on its black grid.

"That better not be a cigarette in your mouth," she grouches.

She sits up and stretches. Three bones in her back crack and her elbow pops. She's gotta get back into the swing of training. Ino, Naruto, Tenten, Lee, _and_ Sasuke had each bothered her on separate occasions about getting back in the ring. Between classes, required clinical hours, and the hours she picks up to help with rent, she really just hasn't had the time. 

"Does it count if I'm not actually smoking it?" Shikamaru asks, not even bothering to look at her to reply.

Sakura rolls her eyes and brings the steaming bowl of hot pot in front of her. Utensils had been left on a tidily folded paper napkin.

"Yes," she says. "Thank you for the meal."

"Yeah, yeah," Shikamaru mutters, tossing a dish rag over his shoulder.

"One of these days, Nara," she says around a piece of crab (delectable crab, incredible crab, awe inspiring crab; she tells herself to tell Chouji she can taste the difference), "I'm gonna drown your stash while you sleep and you won't even see it coming."

Shikamaru rolls his eyes. Sakura can see it through the back of his head.

"Get in line. My mother's got you beat."

But his words come out cleanly, and Sakura knows he's spat the unlit cigarette into the potted plant she keeps by the window. It's not a perfect fix, and she'll blame him if the plant wilts but it's enough. Sakura nibbles around a mushroom and wonders how many cigarettes Shikamaru has stashed around the apartment, his place at home, not to mention Chouji or Ino's. Sasuke smokes like a goddamn chimney, and every time there's a balcony on which large masses of people can be avoided, the two of them are there, chain-smoking off of each other until Sakura can feel the tar build up in her own damn lungs.

"Your mother is a gift," Sakura says. 

"She thinks so, too."

He finishes up the dishes and uses the towel over his shoulder to wipe off his hands. He turns around, leaning against the countertop. 

"You like it?" he asks, gesturing to the bowl in front of her. 

Sakura has it lifted to her mouth and was only a second away from pouring the broth straight down her throat. 

"Mm!" she says instead. 

He smiles, a wry crooked thing tucked into the corner of his mouth. It makes Sakura's stomach feel floaty. 

"You'll be happy to know I didn't let you burn the complex down," Shikamaru says, lifting the kettle off the stove and bringing it to the kotatsu. He's got two teacups and a pot holder in his second hand. 

Sakura winces.

"Did I leave it on again?" 

Shikamaru nods and pours them both a cup of tea. 

"Second time this week," he says, pushing Sakura's cup towards her. "But you're cute when you sleep, so I'm not upset."

Sakura smiles and bats her eyelashes prettily at him. 

"Am I?" 

"Yeah," Shikamaru says, cup at his lips, "it's the only time you aren't bothering me."

Sakura grinds her teeth. 

"If I didn't know that hot water is capable of burning the skin off of a human being, I would've dumped this on you," she says, shaking her own cup of tea. 

Shikamaru snorts into his own cup. Underneath the kotatsu, Sakura can feel his feet bump against hers. Then, his free arm is slipping beneath the blanket and pulling her feet into his lap.

"It's a good thing you love me then," he says, hand resting on her shin. 

Sakura smiles into her tea. It's chamomile, with just a little bit of milk and lots of sugar. 

"A very good thing indeed."

 

**Author's Note:**

> 10/10 will go down with this ship


End file.
